Page 20 of Midnight Reign
“Absent,” I say, unable to keep the bitterness from my voice. “They were there for?—”
“Adelaide Black,” he states. The shadows around him roil and churn.
I nod, keeping my face carefully neutral even as my heart races. “Yes.”
“And where is she now?”
“Safe. But changed.”
“Changed how?”
“Stronger, more powerful.”
“Morepowerful?”
He says that with a tone of disbelief. Not in Adelaide’s new power, but her old. That says… a lot.
Malachar descends the dais, each step sending tremors through the floor. The mosaic tiles crack and reform in his wake, the patterns becoming more chaotic, more violent. When he reaches me, he towers over me, his presence overwhelming. The scent of blood and night-blooming flowers rolls off him in waves.
“And tell me, Zephyr,” he says, his voice dangerously soft, “who is this vampire to you?”
“She is my future wife.”
For a long moment, Malachar just stares at me, his eyes boring into mine. I can feel him probing at the edges of my mind, seeking weaknesses, seeking lies.
“That’s a bold statement.”
“It’s true.”
“It better be for you to even think about it, never mind utter the words in my presence. You have intrigued me.”
Yeah, that’s what I was worried about.
“I shall arrive at MistHallow tomorrow.”
Yep, figured that’s what you would do. Fuckity fuck fuck fuck.
“Yes, Dad. There’s more.”
“More?”
“Your brother’s idiot son tried to claim my princess in front of me. He threatened her, and I kicked his arse.”
He laughs, a sound of pure amusement. “Did you now? Good boy. Never stand for anyone taking what is yours, no matter who they are.”
“He needs dealing with,” I spit out.
“Oh, don’t worry about that. The future Princess of the Dark Fae will be well protected. The shadows are her servants.”
I’m motionless for one moment in time, where the world stands still. Fuck.
He actually took me seriously. He knows more than he is letting on with regard to Adelaide and her powers and her station in the supernatural world. That means he wants her here, and that, while it makes my life easier, also scares the shit out of me.
“Dismissed,” he says as if he wonders why I’m still standing here.
I don’t need to be told again. I stride out of the Throne Room. The doors slam shut behind me with a finality that echoes through the halls.
Once outside, I pause to catch my breath. The encounter with my father has left me slightly shaken, my mind reeling from the implications of our conversation. But I have to get those maps and get back to MistHallow soon.
